Finland stabbing: Two killed, six injured in Turku city; suspect held after being shot in the legs, say police

Helsinki: Two people were killed and six were injured in a stabbing spree in the Finnish city of Turku on Friday, police said, after officers shot one suspect and warned several others could be at large.

"There are eight victims in the stabbing. Two dead and six injured," Turku police tweeted.

Police shot one suspect in the legs and arrested him. Security forces wrote on Twitter that police were "looking for other possible perpetrators".

"Police shot the suspected perpetrator in the legs," police wrote on Twitter. "The person has been arrested. We recommend that people avoid central Turku."

People with emergency services working in Turku Market Square in Turku, Finland on Friday. AP

Public television station Yle reported that central Turku was on lockdown, with witnesses saying they had seen bodies lying on the ground in a busy area of the town. Businesses were shut.

"The government is following the situation in Turku closely and a police operation is under way," tweeted Prime Minister Juha Sippila ahead of a cabinet meeting.

MTV3 television reported that police have raised security at Helsinki airport and at train stations.